MarytheKaytheBlog

How to Remember Our Troops Every Single Day

Our daughter came up with a simple way to remember our troops every single day.  When she told me about it, I thought it was brilliant--and decided to join in!  

Whenever the clock reads 9:11--she prays for our troops.  

If she happens to notice the clock at 9:11 am, she says a quick prayer for our soldiers.

If she is still awake at 9:11 pm (and she ALWAYS is, the little night owl!), she prays for the soldiers.

It's such a simple gesture.  But, certainly, not so simple to the men and women who give their very lives so that my family is able to live a free life.  The VERY LEAST I can do for our troops is to PRAY FOR THEM.  And pray for THEIR FAMILIES BACK HOME.

Won't you join us?  Whenever you notice a clock that reads "9:11" please stop for a moment and pray for our soldiers.

I love our country.  Today, I am especially grateful for the men and women before us who have forged the way, who have fought the battles, who have stood for justice, and who have given their lives.

Happy Memorial Day, America!

And, thank you.

Who are you thinking about--and praying for--this Memorial Day?

The 10 Smart Phone Apps I Use Most

I could write a Broadway musical about how much I love my smart phone. 

Is that terrible? 

Should I even admit this shallow fact about myself? 

But, it's true.  I NEVER thought I'd like my DroidX phone as much as I do, and I NEVER KNEW just how helpful a little phone could be to my everyday life.

Part of my motivation in writing this post is to share the smart phone applications I find most helpful, but also to hear what apps YOU love most.  I'm sure there's so much more I could be doing with my beloved phone. 

And you know...I'm doing research for that award-winning musical...

The TOP 10 apps I use the most (on my DroidX phone):

1.  Alarm & Timer - My phone charger is on my bedside table, so I am able to use the alarm on my phone every single day.  I LOVE that I never have to worry about a power outage (not that uncommon in our neighborhood) messing with my morning alarm.  I hope I never have to go back to a traditional alarm clock.  This is one of my favorite features on my phone!

2.  Facebook and Twitter- I know those are 2 separate apps, but I use them pretty much the same on my phone.  I rarely look at Facebook or Twitter on my home computer anymore...I just don't have the time.  But, when I have a free moment in the carpool line, or waiting for an appointment, I am able to search all the latest goings-on in my social media apps. 

3.  Instagram- I JUST joined the Instagram ranks--since they just rolled out the Android version.  I'm still learning how I will use it, but so far I'm enjoying sharing photos.

4.  Gmail- I really drug my feet in making the switch from my old e-mail account to a web-based account like Gmail.  But, now, I cannot imagine switching from Gmail!  I LOVE being able to access my e-mail from anywhere--especially my phone.  My favorite feature is the ability to search old e-mails from ANY word or phrase inside the e-mail--or from the sender's name or e-mail.  I use the search feature all the time!

5.  Calendar - I am an old fashioned wall calendar hanging on the side of my fridge kind of girl, but I have recently started using my phone's Calendar app, and am feeling much more organized when I'm out-and-about.  Mostly, I use the Calendar app to schedule my family's appointments.  Standing at the receptionist's desk, I open the app and type in the next appointment as we're setting it.  Then, I always set a 24-hour-ahead reminder, so that I never forget about an appointment!

6.  Netflix- I must admit that my KIDS love this app most of all!  Since signing up with Netflix a couple of months ago, I found out there was an app--score!  I have a love-hate relationship with Netflix on my phone, though...because my kids want to "borrow my phone" ALL THE TIME.  Netflix comes in handy when we have a long wait at a restaurant, during long car travel, or when waiting on a long appointment (with the volume turned way down, of course!)

7.  TV.com- This app came pre-loaded on my Droid X, otherwise I might not have found it.  Sometimes, I will use this app to watch t.v. while I'm on the treadmill.  (I do use headphones, in order to hear better.)  This is a CBS-owned app, and it plays full episodes (as well as short previews) of some shows I would not normally have time to watch...like NCIS Los Angeles, Blue Bloods, 60 Minutes, 48 Hours Mystery, and Undercover Boss.  I don't use this app often, but when I do, I really appreciate how well it works!

8.  iHeartRadio - This is THE app I use for music when running.  I really love listening to the K-Love radio station; however, there are hundreds of other stations to choose from.

9.  Pandora- Okay, so sometimes when I'm in the mood for a particular style of music (like classical piano or Josh Groban-style ballads), Pandora is where I go. 

10.  Bible and Daily Bible - I love having a Bible with me at all times!  I use the Bible app for looking up a reference when I'm on-the-go.  The Daily Bible app sends a Bible verse or passage to my phone every single day.  I like that when I see the little Bible icon pop up (telling me there's a verse waiting to be read), I can wait until I have time to focus on that day's verse(s).  It's such a small way that I can help keep my day focused on important things.

Honorable Mentions:  I use these apps, but on a much-less consistent basis.

AccuWeather, Car Dock (for navigation), Where (for finding yummy FOOD on vacation!), Brightest Flashlight, Flixster, Shazam, and StumbleUpon (my favorite app for long road-trip "surfing")

What are your favorite smart phone apps?

photo credit

Ooh La La Cheesy Baked Spaghetti

I'm pretty much a sucker for anything that says "cheesy" or "baked"--so the minute I saw this recipe, I knew it would be a good one.

Recently, when I needed a recipe for a Frozen Dinner Co-Op, I googled "cheesy baked spaghetti" and Tammy's Recipes blog came up.  Click here for Tammy's AMAZING recipe.  Seriously, this recipe is my favorite baked spaghetti recipe I've ever made!  It's very similar to lasagna--but with spaghetti noodles.  (And angel hair noodles are my favorite, too!)

 This is one of my FAVORITE time-saving ideas:  I made my Cheesy Baked Spaghetti in round foil pans--so that I could freeze it, and then easily slide it out frozen, to put directly into my Crock Pot.  (I explained all about From Freezer to Crock Pot to Table here.)

So, what are you waiting for?  Go purchase your ingredients and 2 round foil pans.  Make one for yourself, and one to freeze for later.  Then, when you find out someone who needs a yummy meal, you will feel like Holly Homemaker when you pull out your frozen Cheesy Baked Spaghetti to share.

Oh, and I forgot one thing.  After you make this dish, you might as well get on the treadmill.  But, just remember--its cheesy goodness is worth every minute of sweat and tears.

What food do you think is WORTH time on the treadmill?

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Spring Table Preview: Place Cards

I'm working on a longer post full of happy springy photos and ideas, but I thought I'd give you a little preview today...

Recently, I decorated a pretty Spring Table for a cooking class event at our church.  For my table, I focused on ideas that were EASY to do, INEXPENSIVE, yet PRETTY.  Ahh--3 of my favorite words!

The place cards hit all 3 of those wonderful words!  Want to know how easy they were?  I only did 4 things to create these Spring Place Cards...

1 - I bought a package of 8 yellow silicone baking cups at Hobby Lobby.  (They were $3.99--but 40% off!!)

2 - I filled each cup with jelly beans (after eating...quite a few!)

3 - I used a toothpick, and stuck it into 1 jelly bean.  Sometimes, I used my fingernail to "pierce" the jelly bean, if it was being stubborn.  I did break a couple of toothpicks before figuring out the fingernail piercing method.  (A highly technical process, as you can see!  Ha!)

4- I cut little rectangles out of plain notecards, wrote on the names, and taped to the toothpick.

That's it!  4 easy steps to creating darling little Spring Place Cards!  And won't your guests just love nibbling on the jelly beans?

What's your most recent EASY, INEXPENSIVE, and PRETTY idea??

Baby Steps: How I'm Drinking Fewer Cokes

Now, don't be thinking I'm getting all crazy on you.  I'm not saying that I'm giving up Cokes.  No sirree. 

What I am saying is that I am trying to drink  fewer Cokes.

But, fewer could mean less than a dozen a day.  Or less than 2.  Or even less than 3 per week.

You think I'm going to tell you how many Cokes I drink a day/week?

A proper lady never tells...how many Cokes she drinks.

And since I am always proper, I will tell you how I am drinking fewer Cokes...than I normally drink.

(Are you on the edge of your seat yet?  Biting your nails in anticipation?)

I am buying 2-liter Cokes, instead of 12-packs of cans.

Now, my first true Coke love will always be those 200-calorie cans--icy cold from the refrigerator.  *swoon*   But, I have found that if I buy 2-liters instead, I drink less.  (Plus, I'm saving a heck of a lot of money.)

I like my icy-cold 2-liter Coke poured into a glass--no ice.  If you're not drinking it out of an icy can, and you're not drinking it out of a Sonic styrofoam cup, then the 3rd best is icy cold in a glass with no ice.

(I realize I have issues.)

Sometimes, I want to drink my Coke out of one of one of my pretty little juice glasses.  Those things are itty bitty--but I do love those little glasses, and Coke tastes special and delicious in them.

You know what itty bitty means, right?  Itty bitty calories.  Cha-ching.

So, for today, that is my baby step to getting healthier.  Between my running, and drinking fewer Cokes, maybe--just maybe--I will finally lose the rest of my baby weight.  I KNOW MY BABY IS  7-YEARS-OLD.   I just like to take things slow and steady.

Slow and steady wins the race, right?

RIGHT????  I.  CAN'T.  HEAR.  YOUUUUUU.

What baby steps have you taken lately?

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Easy Thanksgiving Gifts...Thankful Jars with Spiced Tea!

Who are you thankful for this year?  Your child's teachers... music teacher... dance teacher... postal carrier... secretary... car hop at Sonic...

How about an inexpensive and easy way to show your gratefulness for them?  Last year, I made some Thankful Jars filled with peppermints. 

This year, I was in a fallish mood to make some spiced tea mix to fill the Thankful Jars.  I made these jars for our daughters' teachers.  (Shh!  Don't tell!)

Here's what I did:

I purchased the ingredients.  Actually, I purchased the Tang and lemon iced tea mix, and just assumed I had ground cinnamon and ground cloves at home.  Ruh-row--guess who did NOT have ground cloves?  (By the way, my 2 purchased ingredients cost $5.18, and was enough for 3 small jars.)

So, here's how I improvised--to turn whole cloves, into ground cloves:  (Actually, my sweet husband helped me.  He strong man make powder with big pound pound.)

Mix it all up (recipe below)--but PLEASE, do not inhale.  We do not need any spiced tea hallucinations.When you're done mixing, and not inhaling, pour the mix into your adorable little glass jars...I mean your Thankful Jars!

(I purchased mine at Walmart for $1.97 each.  Mason jars would have worked great, too!)

Aren't they cutie pies??  I really love the idea of Thankful Jars, because they communicate thankfulness, yet are inexpensive and easy to put together!

I included the directions for the Spiced Tea Mix, as well as the ingredients.  (Yeah, feel free to print yours...unless your stinking printer is broken like mine...)  The "ribbon" I used was just some old fabric I had, that I ripped into a 1/2" strip.

Here's the poem I put on the front card:

I'm thankful for you, Mrs._______

And share this gift of tea

Thank you for being my teacher,

And caring so much for me!

 

And lastly, here's the recipe I used.  There are lots of variations for this recipe, but this one seemed simplest, with the fewest ingredients.  I suggest mixing this up, and trying a mug of it yourself--to see if you'd like to tweak it at all.

Spiced Tea Mix Recipe

2 cups orange-flavored drink mix (Tang)

1 cup lemon flavored instant tea powder (has sugar mixed in)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

TO MAKE A CUP:  Mix 3 teaspoons of mix to a mug of hot water.  Mmm, enjoy!

* Does this gift not strike your fancy?  How about another FUN and VERY EASY idea-- Sonic Happies! *

 Who are you thankful for this year?

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What to do with leftover Halloween candy

Raise your hand if you're already sick of all the Halloween candy...

Oh my goodness, somebody quick give me a salty pretzel.  I'm on the verge of a sugar coma.  Can anybody else relate?  Or is it just me...and little wrappers...that I continue to find...all over the house?

Today, I was trying to get creative about what to do with all of the leftover candy, and I came up with a couple of ideas...

1.  Pull out the pieces of non-melty (non-chocolate) candy, and set them aside for your Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes!!!  This year we have lots of Starbursts, Smarties, and Dum Dum suckers that will be GREAT to stash into our shoeboxes.  I'm getting my kids involved, and letting them pick out all the candy they want to share with our shoebox girls across the globe.

Operation Christmas Child

2.  Select several of my kids' favorite candies, and set them aside to put into their Christmas stockings!  Obviously, I don't select the Halloween-packaged candy.  But, there are plenty of Reeses cups and mini Twix bars my girls will be thrilled to find in their stockings.  Santa is a smartie pants, yes she is!

3.  Set aside some candy to decorate our gingerbread house with.  Every year, our church has a big gingerbread house decorating contest.  How nice to have a stash of candy all ready when that day comes!

4.  I saw this idea online, and loved it:  Use the extra candy for your Christmas Advent calendars--either put them into a calendar you already have, or create a simple one!  Here are some great ideas to get you started.   

5.  Chop up some mini Snickers and Reeses, and put them on top of my ice cream.  Okay, sorry.  This one is not helpful.  Not helpful at all....

6.  Okay, this one isn't going to be helpful, either.  Pioneer Woman's candy cookies are di-vine!  I've made them before, and my favorite combination is the peanut butter cookie dough with a mini Reeses.
7.  Eat the candy, one by one, until it is ALL GONE.  There, now there's nothing else to worry about, right?

Well, that's it.  Those are my best ideas. 

What do YOU do with all the leftover Halloween candy...staring at you with its beady little eyes?

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Why I Don't Boycott Halloween Anymore, Round 2

Last year, around this time, I wrote a post about why I don't boycott Halloween anymore.  I got some great discussion in the Comments.   Just in case you missed it last year--or if you'd just like to add some discussion--I'd sure love to hear what you think about Halloween.  Do you and/or your kids dress up?  Or...do you avoid it like the plague?  How do you handle this sometimes controversial holiday?

Oh, and while we're talking Halloween, check out some cute costume ideas our family has used over the years...

..........

 

 Here is my Baptist girl disclaimer about celebrating Halloween:  I know.  I know that many Christians boycott Halloween, and I really do understand why.  In fact, I used to semi-join in the boycott.  When our kids were younger, we shied away from calling it "Halloween," and were thankful to attend a good friend's Fall Party every October, so that our kids still had the opportunity to dress up.  "Come on, kids--let's get your Fall Party costumes on!"  But, the older I get, the more I shy away from hard and fast decisions that I don't necessarily embrace 100%. 

Boycotting Halloween never felt right to me.  I just didn't feel that strongly about it.  I know our family doesn't celebrate ghosts or evil spirits in our Halloween dressing up and trick-or-treating.  We don't put any scary (cheesy?) decorations in our yard.  You will never ever find me purchasing a red devil costume at Walmart because that is not the least bit cute--it is evil and damned. (Not that I feel strongly about it--HA!!!)  And when we pass grown-ups dressed in gruesome costumes who (scare my children and) are actually trick-or-treating (without kids), I have to control my urge to point my finger and tell them, "Well, that is just STUPID!  Get away from my innocent children, stupid person!"

I understand that Halloween might have origins in Druid or Celtic practices of offering treats to the spirits of the dead returning to the earth.  But, OUR family certainly isn't celebrating this, and our kids have no idea about the origins.  They just want to dress up in cute costumes and get to fill their sacks full of candy one day a year!  (And truthfully, I just want to help make their creative costumes!!  Oh yeah, and take some cute pictures!)

Can't you remember dressing up as a child, ringing your neighbors' doorbells, being offered gigantic bowls of individually wrapped candies, and selecting as many as you could get away with--politely?  Going home afterwards and having the best time sorting out all the candy, comparing it with your sister's and brother's piles, trading for your favorites (Reeses, please!!), and talking about which neighbors had the best candy selection?  Such fun, fun memories!!

Our calendars are FILLED with names of Roman gods and goddesses--the names of our months and days of the week--but yet we don't boycott any of them.  We don't boycott Mondays, a name dedicated to the goddess of the moon.  I mean, I'd like to boycott some Mondays--but not because it has any evil implications. 

Like I said above, though, I understand why some people boycott Halloween.  You won't hear me disagreeing with those people.  Because, I understand, I get it.  I can appreciate the stand they are trying to make with their families.  I am ALL FOR families that stand up for good.  I am ALL FOR families that stand against the tide of popular sentiment.  In fact, our little family is committed to teaching our daughters how to stand alone, how to say a firm no, and how to rely on the Bible when everyone around them disagrees. 

But, when it comes to Halloween?  I just don't feel strongly enough about it to boycott it anymore.  I am saving my boycotts for causes that I DO feel strongly about.   And, there are plenty, I am sure!

All right, let me have it...What do you think?

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From Freezer to Crockpot to Table: Easy Dinners!

I just love when I stumble onto a brilliant idea.  Which...come to think of it...is how I EVER have a brilliant idea:  By accident.

Here's how I stumbled onto this one:  I participated in a frozen dinner co-op recently, and have a freezer full of lovely frozen entrees.  However, more often than not, I found myself not using the entrees...  Why do you think I wasn't using them?  Because I always forgot to thaw them out! 

The other day I knew I would be away from the house for several hours, but needed a hot dinner as soon as we got home from soccer practice.  I peered into my freezer full of magical frozen entrees, and WISHED I had something to put into the crockpot.  I didn't know how I was going to cook a completely frozen dinner, when I was planning to be away from the house for several hours.

A-ha!  *Cue the brilliant idea music...*  I spotted a round casserole dish, and wondered if the round shape would fit into my oblong crockpot...

They sure look like a fit...  I took the completely frozen baked spaghetti casserole, and pulled it away from its foil container. 

I was amazed at how easily it pulled away from the sides, and out of the container.

Voilà!  Frozen dinner on hand.  Literally.  Get it?  Hardy har har.

Ah, a beautiful sight to behold!  It fits perfectly!  There is some empty space on the oblong ends--but it fits nicely right into the middle.

I did add 1/2 cup of water--I poured it right on top--just in case my casserole wasn't moist enough.  (I know how you girls LOVE that word.)  I put on the lid, and set my crockpot to LOW.

I was shocked that my casserole was completely thawed, and heated up within 3 hours.  That still seems impossible to me--but I promise that is how long it took on Low.  This is exactly how it looked after 3 hours. 

It just needs a little stirring, don't you think?

Ta-Da!  All done!  From freezer...to crockpot...to table...all within 3 hours.  Unbelievable!

What did I learn from this experiment? 

Always buy the ROUND FOIL CASSEROLE PANS to freeze my dinners.  That way, I have the option to cook it in the oven--or, more likely--pop it out of the container and into the crockpot!

 

What shape is your crockpot?  Do you see yourself using this idea?

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How to clean Chaco and Teva sandals (and BEFORE and AFTER pics!)

 (Oh boy, am I going to embarrass myself with these before pictures...)

Once upon a time there was a girl who got a pair of Chaco sandals.  She loved those Chacos with all her heart.  They made her feet very happy.  She wore them nearly every day when the weather was nice.  She wore them so much, however, that they got very dirty and ugly.  She occasionally rinsed them off in the sink or shower, and once or twice swished them around in the (chlorinated) swimming pool to clean them. 

One day, Chaco girl realized just HOW DIRTY her beloved Chacos had become.  Looking down at her dirty blue Chacos made her feel very sad inside.  She knew something must be done to clean them.  And soon.

She searched around on the internet, and found out that cleaning them was actually easy!  "Hooray!" said Chaco girl. 

Chaco girl knew that if her dirty Chacos got clean again, she would share the news with the whole wide world...

So, here I am--at the request of Chaco girl--to show you how she cleaned her beloved Chacos...and how you can clean yours, too!

WARNING:  Do not view this picture if you are eating, or have a sensitive stomach.  Also, pregnant women should proceed with caution, as should small children sensitive to bad smells.

 

Chacos BEFORE cleaning:

 

HOW TO CLEAN CHACOS (and Tevas):

1. Place non-leather sandals inside a mesh bag (optional--just helps protect other clothes), and wash in washing machine on warm.  Use any non-bleach detergent, and wash with some towels or sheets.

2.  If sandals are especially dirty, use soft (old) toothbrush or scrub brush, and using warm water, gently scrub the footbed, as well as any straps that are especially dirty.  If an old toothbrush is not readily available, just use your husband's.  Be sure to put it back when you're done.

3.  Slide the underneath part of the strap out, and wash.  When sandal is clean, slide the strap back to where it was.  (This is called "flossing" the straps.  Sometimes grime and bad smells can be hiding on the strap inside the footbed.)

4.  My sandals were so dirty that I washed them in the machine a 2nd time.

 

All right, good people, are you ready for the AFTER pictures?

 

Chacos, after cleaning!  See how they sparkle?!

(Note the tiny drops of white spray paint on the straps...Do NOT spray paint in your beloved Chacos...)

 Go on--scroll back up to look at the nasty BEFORE pics.  Don't they look beautiful now?  So sparkly clean, and so good-smelling now.

Chaco girl says to tell you to scoop up your Chacos right now and toss them into the washer.   "Toss, toss, toss!" she says.  "Clean those Chacos for the good feet of all mankind!"
 
SPECIAL NOTE:  Do NOT wash your Chacos in the dishwasher.  First of all, that's nasty.  Secondly, the high temperatures may de-laminate your sole...which would in turn, de-laminate your soul.   (Get it?  Hardee har har.)  But, de-laminating soles is not funny, and should never be kidded about. 

Just curious--what's your FAVORITE SHOE in your closet? 

(Obviously, you already know mine.)  *grin*